‘Unlikely Hero’: Liverpool’s Top Five Most Improved Players This Season

Jurgen Klopp’s final season at Anfield has been a somewhat transitional one, with a midfield overhaul in the summer, a constant barrage of injuries, and the emergence of many unlikely saviours. Here are our five most improved Liverpool players.

Liverpool’s Top Five Most Improved Players in the 2023/24 Season

5. Jarell Quansah

Jarell Quansah spent the second half of the 2022/23 term on loan at Bristol Rovers in League One. The England U21 international started 15 out of 20 available games. However, some critics claimed that he struggled to adapt to the physicality of the EFL.

Despite Quansah only making his Liverpool debut in August, he has looked very comfortable in high-level Premier League matches and in European competition.

He has started an impressive 20 matches in all competitions, including playing 90 minutes against both Arsenal and Manchester City, conceding just one goal across both matches.

4. Joe Gomez

Joe Gomez was largely a bit-part player for the past few years. He played as back-up to Trent Alexander-Arnold at right-back and Virgil van Dijk at centre-back, meaning very limited minutes. He never really shone or reached the levels that his potential suggested he could.

However, injuries this season have given Gomez a golden opportunity. With Alexander-Arnold, Kostas Tsimikas, and Andy Robertson all suffering major injuries, Gomez has played a role in the majority of games, either at left-back or right-back.

Surprisingly, he has performed better on the left-hand side despite being right-footed. Perhaps his experience of playing at centre-back allows him to excel at facing wingers making inverted runs therefore allowing him to utilise his right foot.

3. Darwin Nunez

Nunez has ten goals and 7 assists in the league, compared to 9 goals and 3 assists last campaign. However, he is still underperforming his expected goals by 3.6 which was also a major problem last year.

It is Nunez’s link-up play that has improved most significantly. Klopp explained himself that “he’s involved in pretty much everything”.

Liverpool aren’t strangers to playing with a low-scoring striker: Bobby Firmino spent years supplying Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah with chances. Nunez is similarly providing for inverted wingers in Salah and Luis Diaz.

2. Diogo Jota

Diogo Jota has netted 14 times this season compared to seven last time out in an equal number of games.

Whilst he has only outperformed his tally in the league by two, a large portion of those contributions came in a short period of time when the club needed him most.

In the two months between Boxing Day and his injury on February 17, the Portuguese scored six and assisted four. That’s ten goal contributions in 11 games.

Due to Salah’s injury, Jota shared the pitch with the Egyptian on just two occasions in this period: Jota’s improvements are particularly significant as he replaced Salah highly effectively to help Liverpool progress in two cup competitions and remain at the top of the Premier League table.

1. Caoimhin Kelleher – Most Improved Liverpool Player

Caoimhin Kelleher has been Liverpool’s backup goalkeeper for years, but has never really impressed, besides his penalty shootout expertise: he has saved a club record of six penalties in four shootouts, and even scored the winner in the EFL Cup Final 2022.

However, Alisson Becker has missed 14 games through injury in the 2023/24 season, opening the door for his understudy. Kelleher’s impressive performances largely began in the EFL Cup final where he made a string of game-winning saves.

The “unlikely hero” followed this up with more impressive stops and clean sheets against both Southampton and Nottingham Forest, before limiting Manchester City to just one goal.

Critics had suggested that Alisson’s absence may lead to Liverpool’s capitulation, but Kelleher has more than stepped up to the plate and contributed significantly to a piece of silverware and a healthy stint at the top of the table.